Entertainment

Advances in digital technology have given most mobile devices the capability to not only stream but actually recognize (Shazam, VideoSurf, etc.) entertaining content. Streaming data is replacing rentals (for video) and hard disc ownership (for video and audio). Consumers have more platforms to watch entertaining content, more devices on which to watch it, and more ways to seek out new content. The flip side is that content producers have more ways to monitor and monetize who is consuming it. To complicate matters, user-generated content (YouTube videos, remixes, and social media activity) and metadata (data about data, or the tracking information attached to most files) are changing the need for – and enforcement of – copyright laws.

The traditional Hollywood distribution model (theatrical release, pay-per-view, rental, premium cable, commercial cable) has changed dramatically in the wake of smartphones, tablets, and similarly mobile devices on which people can now view movies and...